St. Paul daily globe., 1887-08-03
THE OLD AWARD GOES.
Further Action By the Council on
the IIn-ToXEn Bridge.

the
1t was evident when the members of
the council stood about the city hall
steps talking earnestly together in pairs
and trioS long after the time for the
meeting to pe called last night, that
some important action was brewing.
They met at o'clock and the routine
business was quickly transacted. Aid.
Hamm then moved a reconsideration OF
the vote of the council awarding the
contract for the uptown bridge. The
contract was awarded nearly month
ago to the Keystone Bridge company,
by close vote, against the advice of the
city engineer, and it has since been dis
covered by the opposition that the
Keystone company had submitted no
bid.E hut that the bid had been
submitted by c. L. Strobel, consulting
engineer of the company. On this
ground the old question was reOpened
and hOtly debated. The question was
between the bids of c. l.. Strobel,
$40. .324. and the bid of the Morse Bridge
company. S311,0G0, the former recon-
mended by a majority of the committee
on streets and the latter by the city en-
gineer and AID. Cullen and Bryant, Of
the committee. Aid. PetSch at once
moved the acceptance of StrObel's bid,
and Aid. Cullen moved a substitute to
award to the Morse company.
Aid. Dowlan-I don't like to say anything
III this matter, but the charter provides that
you shall award the contract to the lowest
bidder-not may" but shall"
THE LAW WAS READ.
The reading of the law was called for,
and Clerk re.dergaSt read from sec
ton IA of the Municipal Code relating
to contracts, providing that the council
shall award contracts s'to the lowest re-
spOnsibie bidder"
Aid Cullen-It seems TO me an award to
any other than the Morse company would be
in direct violation of the law, provided there
Is no good reason why it should not be
awarded to them, and no good reason has as
yet been given. The plans have been thor
OUghly examined ana the engineer has re-
commended that the contract be awarded TO
the Morse company, and we have a guaran-
tee Of their work i'll the Robert street bridge.
/ don't really know what we have
our engineer for if he is not competent
TO advise us III this matter. / don't know why
the committee on streets should set itself up
against the city engineer, and | believe it is
the wish of the taxpayers that the contract
be awarded to the lowest bidder.
Aid. Hamm-The contract for the Robert
street bridge was let to the Morse company
when their bid was $4,000 above the lowest
bidder
Aid. Cullen-Those bids were referred to
the committee as these were, and we relied
upon the adyices of the city engineer and he
gave us sufficient reasons why the contract
should go To the Morse company
Aid Weber-The council should do what
they think is right in this matter and as their
consciences dictate. ! think in the interests
of the taxpayers we should award to the
Morse company and save the $4,000.
Aid Petsch-I have the Interests of the
: taxpayer as much at heart as Aid. Weber, but
] know that if these bids should be taken be
fore three competent engineers the bid of
the Morse Bridge company would be thrown
out.
Aid. Cullen-I think it is claimed that
these bids have been before an expert engi-
neer, but his name has never been disclosed
When the vote was taken on Aid.
GHllen'S substitute to award to the
Morse company, it stood: 1....-
}eaS-Gulien, Weber, Bryant, Minea,
Dowlan-5.
Nays-COnley. O'COnnor, Petsch,
Ryan, Kenny. Hamm, Long,.
The question Oh Aid, PetSch'S origi-
nal motion to award to c. l.. Strobel,
representing the Keystone Bridge COM
pany. was then carried by vote eX-
actly the reverse.
OTHER BUSINESS.
The followiog proposals for building
stone arch bridge on Colorado street
were opened and referred to the COM
mittee on streets and the engineer: p.
Durack, S24,019.96; NJ. A. O'Brien &
Sons, se9. 442 Is: Lauer Bros, S2S. .S65:
p. f. 0'HallOTan, SIS, 200; Nels ]. Ness,
Ss52,7S0. Two bids for supplying the
city with fuel were also opened and re-
ferred TO the committee on public build
ingS on motion of Aid. Cullen, with
power to reject all bids and make
private contract subject to the approval
of the council, if considered advisable.
Mr.. HodgSOn, 4 committee from the
Summit Avenue association. addressed
the council presenting resolution of
the association fayOring the building of
a boulevard on Summit avenue from the
brow of st. Anthony hill to Fort Smell
ing and asking tie council to pass a
preliminary order to that effect. The
matter was referred to the committee on
streets for report. Ordinances were
passed providing 1or the payment of
the street force every two weeks, and
vacating all of Terry street north of
Margaret street. -Four petitions from
residents of West Seventh streets. ask
ing that the council require the street
railway company to extend its line from
the present terminus at Randolph
street to the Fort Smelling bridge, were
referred.